At a Glance
A high-performing K-12 charter that consistently outpaces its district peers in Bed-Stuy.
Best suited for
Families who win a lottery seat and want a rigorous, no-excuses academic environment from kindergarten through high school — particularly those willing to commute from outside the immediate neighborhood if they don't land a spot in their zoned district school.
Overall Rating
Rating = average of NY State ELA + math proficiency, grades 3–8
Bands are Motley's thresholds on a 0–100 scale, not New York State performance levels.
How this is scored→What stands out
- Among the top-scoring schools in District 14 on the city's school quality measure (3.86/4 vs district avg 2.44)
- Full K-12 grade span in a single building — rare for a Brooklyn charter
- Strong post-pandemic recovery: math proficiency climbed from 75% in 2022 to 97% in 2025
- Middle school scores near or above 98% in both ELA and math at Grade 7
Things to consider
- Admissions is by lottery only — there is no zoned enrollment or sibling priority equivalent to district schools
- Family survey response rate was effectively zero (2 responses), so parent perspective is largely invisible in the data
- Enrollment is large at 716 students, which means less intimacy than smaller neighborhood schools
- Chronic absenteeism is reported at 79.8% — worth asking how the school defines this metric before drawing conclusions
- Charter schools can have different disciplinary cultures and accountability than district schools
Based on 2025 data
School SummaryDistrict 14
This school leads District 14's peer rankings alongside its sister campus Success Academy Bed-Stuy 2 (94/100). The next-highest traditional schools — P.S. 034 and P.S. 031 — score in the low 90s, well below Success Academy's 100/100 on the city's scale.
Academics
With 96.1% ELA proficiency and 97.1% math proficiency, this is one of the strongest-performing schools in District 14 — district averages are 62% and 59% respectively, meaning Success Academy students are roughly 35 percentage points ahead in both subjects. The trajectory tells a story too: after dipping to 77% ELA and 75% math in 2022 (the pandemic low), the school has steadily rebuilt to its current level. Middle school scores are similarly strong, with Grade 7 hitting 98% ELA and 99% math. The overall quality score of 3.86/4 sits well above the district average of 2.44.
Culture
Family survey data is essentially absent (only 2 responses), so it's hard to gauge how parents feel about the school from the available numbers. What's clearer is the attendance picture: 93.3% attendance is above the district average of 88.9%, suggesting families are committed to showing up. The chronic absenteeism figure of 79.8% looks alarming on paper, but this metric reflects a network-wide Success Academy definition that flags even minor absences — it's worth asking the school how they define it. Discipline and safety survey data weren't reported, which is a gap worth investigating during a school visit.
Community
The student body is 62% Black and 29% Hispanic, with small percentages of Multi-Racial, Asian, White, and Native American students — a mix that mirrors the surrounding neighborhood while drawing from a wider charter catchment. With an economic need index of 74.7% and 18% of students classified as IEP, the school serves a population with significant needs while still posting top-tier results.
Neighborhood
Bedford-Stuyvesant (West) is a Brooklyn neighborhood where median household income is $77,685 and 27.9% of residents live in poverty — a neighborhood with real economic diversity. Nearly half of adults (48.2%) hold a bachelor's degree, and homeownership is relatively low at 20.4%, reflecting a renter-heavy community with deep brownstone stock. Families sending kids here are navigating a neighborhood that is simultaneously working-class and well-educated.
Families can reach the school via the G train at Myrtle-Willoughby Avs (about a 4-minute walk) or Flushing Av (about 6 minutes). The M and J at Lorimer St is about a 10-minute walk for those coming from Bushwick or further afield.
Enrollment & applying
Enrollment availability is tracked from the school's published listings and refreshed daily. Confirm cycle dates on the school's own site before applying.
Academic Performance
ELA Proficiency
Students scoring proficient or above on the NY State ELA exam.
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Math Proficiency
Students scoring proficient or above on the NY State Math exam.
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Historical Trends
The dashed line marks 2023, when New York changed its grades 3–8 state tests. Scores before and after it aren’t directly comparable.
2020–2021 data unavailable due to COVID-19
Source: NYC DOE School Quality Reports
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Economic Need & Special Populations
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Success Academy Charter School - Bed Stuy 1 a good school?
- On Motley, Success Academy Charter School - Bed Stuy 1 earns an overall rating of 97/100 — the average of the school's New York State ELA and math proficiency, grades 3–8, shown out of 100. Its state test results run above the District 14 average.
- What grades does Success Academy Charter School - Bed Stuy 1 serve?
- Success Academy Charter School - Bed Stuy 1 serves grades K to 12.
- How do students get into Success Academy Charter School - Bed Stuy 1?
- Success Academy Charter School - Bed Stuy 1 is a charter school — it admits through a free public lottery, with no test or attendance zone.
- Is Success Academy Charter School - Bed Stuy 1 public, charter, or private?
- Success Academy Charter School - Bed Stuy 1 is a public charter school in NYC Community School District 14.
- What neighborhood is Success Academy Charter School - Bed Stuy 1 in?
- Success Academy Charter School - Bed Stuy 1 is in Bedford-Stuyvesant (West), Brooklyn.